This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a control patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with water. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
Kurt P Kowalski, PhD
My work differs from that of many other scientists because, although I am a Research Wetland Ecologist with a research focus on Great Lakes coastal wetland habitats and invasive plant species (e.g., Phragmites australis), I have extensive involvement in the application of research results into practice and policy (e.g., development of novel adaptive management approaches).
Can we find innovative control approaches for Phragmites australis (Common Reed) and other invasive plant species of concern to resource managers?
What is the role of hydrologic connectivity in the rehabilitation and adaptive management of diked and coastal wetland ecosystems in the Laurentian Great Lakes and throughout the nation?
What is the landscape-scale potential for coastal wetland habitat rehabilitation throughout the Great Lakes basin?
These are a few of the research questions that I have been working on during my 27+ years at the Great Lakes Science Center. My master’s work in GIS and remote sensing at Eastern Michigan University and doctoral studies at the University of Michigan provided a solid foundation for extensive work with USFWS refuges (Detroit River, Ottawa, Seney, Shiawassee), Michigan DNR, Ohio DNR, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and many other partners. I’ve studied the marshes of western Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) for many years and continue to work with managers to apply site specific results at national scales. Leadership experiences at the National Conservation Leadership Institute and within USGS have helped me conduct some innovative science and push our research teams in new directions.
Select Research Projects:
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment: overview, geonarrative, and mappers (See Web Tools tab below)
Collaborative coastal wetland restoration planning and monitoring for over 1,000 acres (400 hectares) at the USFWS Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
Implementation of the binational Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program
Science and Products
Science pages by this scientist
Long-term Monitoring of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands and Contributions to the Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program
The Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (CWMP) is an EPA-led program to monitor the health of all Great Lakes coastal wetlands larger than four hectares. USGS scientists are working with Principal Investigators from many State and academic institutions to conduct data collection, implement standardized sampling protocols, analyze multiparameter data, and communicate results to the public.
Restoring Wetland Habitat and Function at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
Hydrologic connectivity is essential to maintaining coastal wetland services and functionality. Impounded wetlands often do not provide essential services such as flood mitigation and nutrient retention, nor can they be utilized as spawning and nursery habitat by important Great Lakes fishes. The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge manages hundreds of acres of historical coastal wetland habitat...
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Ecology, Restoration, and Decision-Support Tools
USGS scientists developed the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment (GLCWRA) decision support tool to help resource managers prioritize where to invest in restoration activities. The Functional Assessment analysis tool helps managers quantify changes in ecosystem services associated with restoration actions.
Invasive Phragmites Science: Using Cutting-Edge Genetic Approaches to Develop New Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites
Invasive plants negatively impact our water, wildlife, and way of life. Current management tools are not cutting it, so a multi-agency research team is using molecular biotechnology to develop new species-specific treatments that help land managers improve the natural resources that we depend on and have more management options during droughts, floods, and other periods of plant stress. This...
Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework – Active Adaptive Management
Non-native Phragmites australis (Common Reed) has become established across the Great Lakes basin, outcompeting native plants and degrading natural habitats. Phragmites is managed using a variety of resource-intensive techniques, yet effectiveness of treatment may vary due to infestation level, application methods, environmental conditions, or other factors. With the goal to reduce uncertainty in...
Innovative Approaches for Wetland Restoration and Invasive Species Management
Coastal and wetland ecosystems provide critical habitat to birds, fish, wildlife, and a suite of other organisms, clean our water and mitigate flooding events, and offer tremendous recreational opportunities to visitors. However, the majority of coastal and wetland ecosystems in the Great Lakes basin have been significantly degraded or destroyed by ditching, draining, development, invasive species...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative and the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework
Broad coordination is required to overcome large-scale regional challenges such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites . Individual management actions may have local impact, but their implementation can be inefficient and landscape-scale impacts are limited. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a...
A Decision-Support Tool for Invasive Plant Management Under Fluctuating Great Lakes Water Levels
Water levels in the Great Lakes are fluctuating in ways that we have not seen in the past, with both historically low- and high-water levels occurring in the last decade. Expectations are that larger and more frequent water-level fluctuations will occur in response to climate change. The increased variability in lake levels has implications for the management of invasive plants found in the coasta
Effects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
The "Phragmites Management and Variable Great Lakes Water Levels" GeoNarrative presents research by the US Geological Survey and US Fish and Wildlife Service on how Great Lakes water levels affect expansion and management of coastal Phragmites populations.
Invasive Phragmites Science: Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites to Foster the Restoration of the Great Lakes
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative
Addressing a large-scale regional issue such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites requires broad cross-sector coordination. Little progress is made and cost efficiencies are reduced when each entity works independently. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a regional level with a common agenda and...
Aquatic Native Species and Habitat Restoration: Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration and Functional Assessment Tools
USGS scientists developed the Restoration Assessment decision support tool to help resource managers prioritize where to invest in restoration activities, and the Functional Assessment analysis tool which will help managers quantify changes in ecosystem services associated with restoration actions.
Multimedia related to this scientist
Control Site for Phragmites australis Bioherbicide
This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a control patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with water. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
Phragmites Before and After Application of a Bioherbicide
Characteristic visual differences between control plots receiving water treatment (left) and experimental plots receiving bioherbicide treatment (right). Photo Credit: Spencer Widin, USGS.
Characteristic visual differences between control plots receiving water treatment (left) and experimental plots receiving bioherbicide treatment (right). Photo Credit: Spencer Widin, USGS.
Test Site for Phragmites australis Bioherbicide
This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a test patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with a bioherbicide. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a test patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with a bioherbicide. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
Munuscong Bay Coastal Wetland Welcome Sign and Wetland
Participants at the 2022 Great Lakes Coastal Symposium visited Munuscong Bay coastal wetland on September 20, which is located on the St. Marys River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to learn about Manoomin replanting efforts, water-level management, and the overall ecology of this valued area. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
Participants at the 2022 Great Lakes Coastal Symposium visited Munuscong Bay coastal wetland on September 20, which is located on the St. Marys River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to learn about Manoomin replanting efforts, water-level management, and the overall ecology of this valued area. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
Bioherbicide in Action
Characteristic impact of bioherbicide on Phragmites leaf tissue. Browning/yellowing of leaf tissues and dark spots formation indicate cellular death and microbial community bloom (i.e., mold), respectively. Photo credit: USGS
Characteristic impact of bioherbicide on Phragmites leaf tissue. Browning/yellowing of leaf tissues and dark spots formation indicate cellular death and microbial community bloom (i.e., mold), respectively. Photo credit: USGS
A Phragmites australis Stand at Crane Creek in Ohio
A Phragmites australis stand at Crane Creek in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio. P. australis is an invasive species in North America.
A Phragmites australis stand at Crane Creek in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio. P. australis is an invasive species in North America.
Phragmites invades coastal wetland in a changing climate
Phragmites invades coastal wetland in a changing climate. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, OH. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS-GLSC.
Phragmites invades coastal wetland in a changing climate. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, OH. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS-GLSC.
Phragmites and Microbes
Experimental set-up of microbial manipulation experiment on Phragmites growth. Photo Credit: USGS.
Experimental set-up of microbial manipulation experiment on Phragmites growth. Photo Credit: USGS.
Phragmites australis on the Shore of Lake St. Clair
Phragmites australis on the Shore of Lake St. Clair, 2015
Phragmites australis on the Shore of Lake St. Clair, 2015
Phragmites Causing a Safety Hazard
Phragmites australis (ssp. australis) is commonly found along roadways. Credit: USGS Great Lakes Science Center.
Phragmites australis (ssp. australis) is commonly found along roadways. Credit: USGS Great Lakes Science Center.
Phragmites, an invasive grass
Introduced Phragmites australis, also called the common reed, is an invasive grass in the Great Lakes.
Introduced Phragmites australis, also called the common reed, is an invasive grass in the Great Lakes.
Monitoring Water Quality Parameters in Crane Creek
A multiparameter probe collects water quality data for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-funded coastal wetland restoration work. Photo Credit: USGS.
A multiparameter probe collects water quality data for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-funded coastal wetland restoration work. Photo Credit: USGS.
Invertebrate sampling in Lake Ontario
Invertebrate sampling in Lake Ontario by Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring field crew.
Invertebrate sampling in Lake Ontario by Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring field crew.
A Restored Wetland
Landscape view of a hydrologically restored wetland unit within the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, OH, USA. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
Landscape view of a hydrologically restored wetland unit within the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, OH, USA. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
A Bald Eagle in a Tree
A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is seen perched in a tree in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Image credit: Michael Eggleston, USGS.
A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is seen perched in a tree in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Image credit: Michael Eggleston, USGS.
Counting the Fyke Net Catch
USGS researchers process a fyke net sample from a restored wetland unit by identifying and enumerating the captured fish species. Photo Credit: USGS
USGS researchers process a fyke net sample from a restored wetland unit by identifying and enumerating the captured fish species. Photo Credit: USGS
Trumpeter Swans on a Wetland
A family of Trumpeter Swans sits on the earthen berm enclosing a restored wetland unit at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: USGS.
A family of Trumpeter Swans sits on the earthen berm enclosing a restored wetland unit at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: USGS.
Water- Control Structure on Lake Erie
Constructed water-control structure connecting a managed pool to Crane Creek wetland (Lake Erie). Structure allows critical fish passage between Lake Erie and the previously diked wetland.
Constructed water-control structure connecting a managed pool to Crane Creek wetland (Lake Erie). Structure allows critical fish passage between Lake Erie and the previously diked wetland.
Benthic Samples on Crane Creek
USGS researchers deploy a ponar grab sampler to collect benthic samples from Crane Creek. Photo Credit: USGS
USGS researchers deploy a ponar grab sampler to collect benthic samples from Crane Creek. Photo Credit: USGS
Invasive Phragmites australis
Phragmites australis invading a Great Lakes coastal wetland. This tall wetland grass was introduced from Europe in the early 19th century and aggressively displaces native vegetation causing plant diversity to decline and critical habitat for fish and other wildlife to be altered.
Phragmites australis invading a Great Lakes coastal wetland. This tall wetland grass was introduced from Europe in the early 19th century and aggressively displaces native vegetation causing plant diversity to decline and critical habitat for fish and other wildlife to be altered.
A USGS Researcher in an Invasive Phragmites Stand, Great Lakes
Many noxious, invasive species infest our nation’s wetlands. One example is a new type of phragmites, a wetlands grass from Europe that has rapidly spread across the continent, altering soil, producing copious seeds, and resulting in dense stands of mostly one-plant – phragmites – stands.
Many noxious, invasive species infest our nation’s wetlands. One example is a new type of phragmites, a wetlands grass from Europe that has rapidly spread across the continent, altering soil, producing copious seeds, and resulting in dense stands of mostly one-plant – phragmites – stands.
Science and Products
Science pages by this scientist
Long-term Monitoring of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands and Contributions to the Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program
The Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (CWMP) is an EPA-led program to monitor the health of all Great Lakes coastal wetlands larger than four hectares. USGS scientists are working with Principal Investigators from many State and academic institutions to conduct data collection, implement standardized sampling protocols, analyze multiparameter data, and communicate results to the public.
Restoring Wetland Habitat and Function at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
Hydrologic connectivity is essential to maintaining coastal wetland services and functionality. Impounded wetlands often do not provide essential services such as flood mitigation and nutrient retention, nor can they be utilized as spawning and nursery habitat by important Great Lakes fishes. The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge manages hundreds of acres of historical coastal wetland habitat...
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Ecology, Restoration, and Decision-Support Tools
USGS scientists developed the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment (GLCWRA) decision support tool to help resource managers prioritize where to invest in restoration activities. The Functional Assessment analysis tool helps managers quantify changes in ecosystem services associated with restoration actions.
Invasive Phragmites Science: Using Cutting-Edge Genetic Approaches to Develop New Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites
Invasive plants negatively impact our water, wildlife, and way of life. Current management tools are not cutting it, so a multi-agency research team is using molecular biotechnology to develop new species-specific treatments that help land managers improve the natural resources that we depend on and have more management options during droughts, floods, and other periods of plant stress. This...
Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework – Active Adaptive Management
Non-native Phragmites australis (Common Reed) has become established across the Great Lakes basin, outcompeting native plants and degrading natural habitats. Phragmites is managed using a variety of resource-intensive techniques, yet effectiveness of treatment may vary due to infestation level, application methods, environmental conditions, or other factors. With the goal to reduce uncertainty in...
Innovative Approaches for Wetland Restoration and Invasive Species Management
Coastal and wetland ecosystems provide critical habitat to birds, fish, wildlife, and a suite of other organisms, clean our water and mitigate flooding events, and offer tremendous recreational opportunities to visitors. However, the majority of coastal and wetland ecosystems in the Great Lakes basin have been significantly degraded or destroyed by ditching, draining, development, invasive species...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative and the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework
Broad coordination is required to overcome large-scale regional challenges such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites . Individual management actions may have local impact, but their implementation can be inefficient and landscape-scale impacts are limited. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a...
A Decision-Support Tool for Invasive Plant Management Under Fluctuating Great Lakes Water Levels
Water levels in the Great Lakes are fluctuating in ways that we have not seen in the past, with both historically low- and high-water levels occurring in the last decade. Expectations are that larger and more frequent water-level fluctuations will occur in response to climate change. The increased variability in lake levels has implications for the management of invasive plants found in the coasta
Effects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
The "Phragmites Management and Variable Great Lakes Water Levels" GeoNarrative presents research by the US Geological Survey and US Fish and Wildlife Service on how Great Lakes water levels affect expansion and management of coastal Phragmites populations.
Invasive Phragmites Science: Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites to Foster the Restoration of the Great Lakes
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative
Addressing a large-scale regional issue such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites requires broad cross-sector coordination. Little progress is made and cost efficiencies are reduced when each entity works independently. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a regional level with a common agenda and...
Aquatic Native Species and Habitat Restoration: Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration and Functional Assessment Tools
USGS scientists developed the Restoration Assessment decision support tool to help resource managers prioritize where to invest in restoration activities, and the Functional Assessment analysis tool which will help managers quantify changes in ecosystem services associated with restoration actions.
Multimedia related to this scientist
Control Site for Phragmites australis Bioherbicide
This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a control patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with water. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a control patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with water. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
Phragmites Before and After Application of a Bioherbicide
Characteristic visual differences between control plots receiving water treatment (left) and experimental plots receiving bioherbicide treatment (right). Photo Credit: Spencer Widin, USGS.
Characteristic visual differences between control plots receiving water treatment (left) and experimental plots receiving bioherbicide treatment (right). Photo Credit: Spencer Widin, USGS.
Test Site for Phragmites australis Bioherbicide
This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a test patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with a bioherbicide. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
This image taken on 28 September 2022 depicts a test patch of Phragmites australis after treatment with a bioherbicide. Photo Credit: Spencer Widin
Munuscong Bay Coastal Wetland Welcome Sign and Wetland
Participants at the 2022 Great Lakes Coastal Symposium visited Munuscong Bay coastal wetland on September 20, which is located on the St. Marys River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to learn about Manoomin replanting efforts, water-level management, and the overall ecology of this valued area. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
Participants at the 2022 Great Lakes Coastal Symposium visited Munuscong Bay coastal wetland on September 20, which is located on the St. Marys River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to learn about Manoomin replanting efforts, water-level management, and the overall ecology of this valued area. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
Bioherbicide in Action
Characteristic impact of bioherbicide on Phragmites leaf tissue. Browning/yellowing of leaf tissues and dark spots formation indicate cellular death and microbial community bloom (i.e., mold), respectively. Photo credit: USGS
Characteristic impact of bioherbicide on Phragmites leaf tissue. Browning/yellowing of leaf tissues and dark spots formation indicate cellular death and microbial community bloom (i.e., mold), respectively. Photo credit: USGS
A Phragmites australis Stand at Crane Creek in Ohio
A Phragmites australis stand at Crane Creek in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio. P. australis is an invasive species in North America.
A Phragmites australis stand at Crane Creek in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio. P. australis is an invasive species in North America.
Phragmites invades coastal wetland in a changing climate
Phragmites invades coastal wetland in a changing climate. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, OH. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS-GLSC.
Phragmites invades coastal wetland in a changing climate. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, OH. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS-GLSC.
Phragmites and Microbes
Experimental set-up of microbial manipulation experiment on Phragmites growth. Photo Credit: USGS.
Experimental set-up of microbial manipulation experiment on Phragmites growth. Photo Credit: USGS.
Phragmites australis on the Shore of Lake St. Clair
Phragmites australis on the Shore of Lake St. Clair, 2015
Phragmites australis on the Shore of Lake St. Clair, 2015
Phragmites Causing a Safety Hazard
Phragmites australis (ssp. australis) is commonly found along roadways. Credit: USGS Great Lakes Science Center.
Phragmites australis (ssp. australis) is commonly found along roadways. Credit: USGS Great Lakes Science Center.
Phragmites, an invasive grass
Introduced Phragmites australis, also called the common reed, is an invasive grass in the Great Lakes.
Introduced Phragmites australis, also called the common reed, is an invasive grass in the Great Lakes.
Monitoring Water Quality Parameters in Crane Creek
A multiparameter probe collects water quality data for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-funded coastal wetland restoration work. Photo Credit: USGS.
A multiparameter probe collects water quality data for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-funded coastal wetland restoration work. Photo Credit: USGS.
Invertebrate sampling in Lake Ontario
Invertebrate sampling in Lake Ontario by Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring field crew.
Invertebrate sampling in Lake Ontario by Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring field crew.
A Restored Wetland
Landscape view of a hydrologically restored wetland unit within the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, OH, USA. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
Landscape view of a hydrologically restored wetland unit within the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, OH, USA. Photo Credit: Kurt Kowalski, USGS.
A Bald Eagle in a Tree
A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is seen perched in a tree in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Image credit: Michael Eggleston, USGS.
A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is seen perched in a tree in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Image credit: Michael Eggleston, USGS.
Counting the Fyke Net Catch
USGS researchers process a fyke net sample from a restored wetland unit by identifying and enumerating the captured fish species. Photo Credit: USGS
USGS researchers process a fyke net sample from a restored wetland unit by identifying and enumerating the captured fish species. Photo Credit: USGS
Trumpeter Swans on a Wetland
A family of Trumpeter Swans sits on the earthen berm enclosing a restored wetland unit at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: USGS.
A family of Trumpeter Swans sits on the earthen berm enclosing a restored wetland unit at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: USGS.
Water- Control Structure on Lake Erie
Constructed water-control structure connecting a managed pool to Crane Creek wetland (Lake Erie). Structure allows critical fish passage between Lake Erie and the previously diked wetland.
Constructed water-control structure connecting a managed pool to Crane Creek wetland (Lake Erie). Structure allows critical fish passage between Lake Erie and the previously diked wetland.
Benthic Samples on Crane Creek
USGS researchers deploy a ponar grab sampler to collect benthic samples from Crane Creek. Photo Credit: USGS
USGS researchers deploy a ponar grab sampler to collect benthic samples from Crane Creek. Photo Credit: USGS
Invasive Phragmites australis
Phragmites australis invading a Great Lakes coastal wetland. This tall wetland grass was introduced from Europe in the early 19th century and aggressively displaces native vegetation causing plant diversity to decline and critical habitat for fish and other wildlife to be altered.
Phragmites australis invading a Great Lakes coastal wetland. This tall wetland grass was introduced from Europe in the early 19th century and aggressively displaces native vegetation causing plant diversity to decline and critical habitat for fish and other wildlife to be altered.
A USGS Researcher in an Invasive Phragmites Stand, Great Lakes
Many noxious, invasive species infest our nation’s wetlands. One example is a new type of phragmites, a wetlands grass from Europe that has rapidly spread across the continent, altering soil, producing copious seeds, and resulting in dense stands of mostly one-plant – phragmites – stands.
Many noxious, invasive species infest our nation’s wetlands. One example is a new type of phragmites, a wetlands grass from Europe that has rapidly spread across the continent, altering soil, producing copious seeds, and resulting in dense stands of mostly one-plant – phragmites – stands.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government